It has long been known to house electrical fixtures such as switches and receptacles in an electrical outlet box. The outlet box permits the insertion of electrical wires into the box which are terminated to electrical fixtures. The fixtures then may be mounted to the box which provides protection to the fixtures as well as the wires terminated therein. The outlet box is then mounted to a wall or other structure at a convenient location to provide access. A face plate or cover is then mounted over the fixture to close off the box, yet maintain the required access to the fixture.
Electrical fixtures for mounting in a standard size outlet box are available in a variety of configurations. Such fixtures include single and duplex receptacles in varying shapes, GFCI receptacles, round receptacles, and various types of switches, including toggle and rocker plates. The selection of which type of fixture to mount within the box is dependant upon the specifics of the application and the desired aesthetic result.
While the outlet box itself is generally universal to the type of fixture mounted therein, a face plate or cover must be selected for each type of particular fixture mounted in the box. For example, a face plate adapted for a duplex receptacle fixture will have two access openings sized and shaped to match the size and shape of the two receptacles of the fixture, whereas a face plate adapted for mounting with a simple single toggle switch will have a single opening having a size and shape matching the toggle switch.
As can be appreciated, the varying shapes and sizes of the access openings prevent the face plates or covers from being interchangeable. As a result, an electrician at a construction worksite would necessarily need to have in his or her possession a collection of various face plates or covers to accommodate all of the possible fixtures. As the face plates or covers are generally well constructed so as to provide suitable protection to the interior of an electrical box, the cost of maintaining a large inventory of such face plates or covers becomes a drawback.
Recently, face plate or cover assemblies have been introduced that are adaptable or convertible to accommodate multiple styles of electrical fixtures. These cover assemblies generally include a number of adapter plates to accommodate the different types of electrical fixtures. With these cover assemblies, the appropriate adapter plate is selected, depending on the type of electrical fixture, and the selected plate is mechanically mounted to the back of the cover. The cover is then mounted to the electrical box.
One drawback with such conventional cover assemblies is the difficulty involved in aligning the cover, with the adapter plate mounted thereto, to the electrical fixture contained within the box. Often, several adjustments must be made between the adapter plate and the cover so that the adapter plate, cover, electrical fixture and outlet box can be properly aligned for mounting.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a universal face plate assembly that is adaptable to a wide variety of electrical fixtures. It would be further desirable to provide such a face plate assembly with means for easy and accurate alignment of all of the cover components during mounting of the cover to an electrical outlet box.